I don't think I need to introduce this series of books, which is an absolute must in the library of every serious chess fan or player. Indeed, the five volumes are among the greatest best-sellers in the history of chess literature. To my surprise, I could not find the series in this forum, so here it is, for the benefit of those among our members who still do not have this outstanding collection by one of the greatest among world champions (OCR' d PDF plus CBV, 66 mb unpacked):http://rgho.st/925bvv2lL

Password: Caissa

Thanks to PaulieD and Indianajones!

Volume 1First in a series of five books, this first volume focuses on the play of champions Wilhelm Steinitz (1886-1894), Emanuel Lasker (1894-1921), Jose Capablanca (1921-1927) and Alexander Alekhine (1927-1935 and 1937-1946).

Future volumes will feature the play of the other World Champions, from Botvinnik through Karpov, and on to Kasparov's own games of course.

These books are planned to document an era in the development of the game that may be coming to an end. In an interview at Chess Cafe (see below) Garry asserts that "these books [are] sort of the milestone that ends a great period of the history of chess...the chronicle of the game, because the game is different now with Rapid chess, with world championship matches decided by blitz games, with Internet, we have to admit it's another game." If so, then these books will lay down the foundation for understanding that era.

It is accurate to say that this book covers the era represented by these players, not just the Champions themselves. The tone is set early, in the sub-title of the Introduction, "The Champions as Symbols of Their Time". By looking not just at the Champion, but at his contemporaries and challengers, Kasparov grounds each Champion in his natural historical context. He then tries to demonstrate the development of chess thought as represented by the games of all these great players.

Volume 2This volume focuses on the era represented by the fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth World Champions - Euwe, Botvinnik, Smyslov, and Tal. As did Part I, the current volume covers the era represented by the World Champions, not just the champions themselves. "By looking not just at the Champion, but at his contemporaries and challengers, Kasparov grounds each Champion in his natural historical context. He then tries to demonstrate the development of chess thought as represented by the games of all these great players."

Volume 3The battle for the World Chess Championship has witnessed numerous titanic struggles which have engaged the interest not only of the chess enthusiasts but also of the public at large. The chessboard is the ultimate mental battleground and the world champions themselves are supreme intellectual gladiators.

This magnificent compilation of play from the 1960s through to the 1970s forms the basis of the third part of Garry Kasparov's long-awaited definitive history of the World Chess Championship. Garry Kasparov, who is universally acclaimed as the greatest chess player ever, subjects the play from this era to a rigorous analysis--the examination being enhanced by the use of the latest chess software. This volume features the play of champions Tigran Petrosian (1963-1969) and Boris Spassky (1969-1972).

However, this book is more than just a compilation of play from the greats of this era. Kasparov's biographies of these champions place them in a fascinating historical, political, and cultural context. Kasparov explains how each champion brought his own distinctive style to the chessboard and enriched the theory of the game with new ideas.

Volume 4This book brings together the two greatest names in the history of chess. The author, Garry Kasparov, is the world number one and, by common consent, the greatest player ever. The subject of the book, Bobby Fischer, is the only American to have become world champion and is probably the greatest natural talent the world has ever seen.

In the period between 1955 and 1972 Fischer, more or less single-handedly, took on the might of the Soviet Chess Empire and won. During this time Fischer scored astonishing successes, the likes of which had not been seen before. These included 11/11 in the 1963/64 U.S. Championship and match victories (en route to the World Championship) by the score of 6-0 against two of the strongest players in the world, Mark Taimanov and Bent Larsen. The climax of Fischer's campaign was his unforgettable match win in Reykjavik in 1972 against Boris Spassky.

Fischer is almost equally well-known for his temperamental behavior away from the board. He made extreme demands of all those around him including tournament organizers. When these demands were not met he often refused to play. The 1972 match against Spassky required the intervention of no less than Henry Kissinger to smooth things over. In 1975, when he was due to defend his title against Anatoly Karpov, Fischer was completely unable to agree terms with FIDE (the World Chess Federation) and was defaulted. After this he more or less gave up chess, playing only once, a "return" match against Spassky in 1992.

In this book, a must for all serious chess players, Kasparov deeply analyzes deeply Fischer's greatest games and assesses the legacy of this great American genius. Also under the microscope are the games of the other great Western players of Fischer's era - Samuel Reshevsky, Miguel Najdorf and Bent Larsen.

Volume 5This book, the fifth in Garry Kasparov's magnificent history of the World Chess Championship, catalogues the "post-Fischer" period in the 1970s and early 1980s. This period was dominated by the Anatoly Karpov (world champion from 1975 to 1985) and his three-time challenger, Viktor Korchnoi.

Anatoly Karpov gained the right to challenge Bobby Fischer for the world title by winning through the Candidates series in 1974. As is well known, Fischer refused to defend the title and in 1975 Karpov became champion "by default." Although he did not have to contest a Championship match to gain the title, Karpov proved that he was a worthy champion by winning virtually every major tournament over the next decade.

In this book, a must for all serious chess players Kasparov analyzes deeply Karpov's greatest games and assesses the legacy of this great Russian genius. Also under the microscope are the games of Viktor Korchnoi who was at his peak during this period and twice challenged Karpov for his world title.